Deposition of Anthonie Atkinson
- Reference: MS 834, fols 147r-150v
- County: Monaghan
- Date: 5/4/1642
- Type: Dublin Original
- Nature of Deposition: Assault, Captivity, Death, Killing, Military Action, Multiple Killing, Robbery, Stripping, Words
- How to Cite
fol. 147r
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The Examinacion of Anthonie Atkinson, servant to Robert Branthwaite Esquire Late of CarrickMagerosse in the County of Monoghan taken the 30th of March 1642
Whoe beinge examined touchinge the demeanor of the Rebells in the sayd Countie towards myself, and others of the Englishe Nation. doe declare vpon my oath: That on Satturday the 23th of October last 1641 betweene eight and nyne of the Clock in the morninge; I heard a great rushinge out of my Chamber in the Castle of Carrick afforesaid where I was a wryteinge: which seemed vnto me to be below in the hall of the said howse, Wherevpon I left the roome, and went downe to the stayres=head where I mett with Sheely ô Kelly (a fellow seruant of his) Ma st t ers whoe told me the howse was full of soldyers. vpon that I retreated into my Chamber againe, where I drew my sworde and brought it out in my hand. lockinge the Chamber doore after me & leaueinge the Key in it, Then I made downe the stayres, where I mett Gilliss mc Clane, <a> Peirce ô Birne, Patricke mc Con mc Toole mc Mahonne Rosse Boy mc Mahonne, Neile ô Hugh Brian mc Toole oge mc Mahonne all of ffarney in the County afforesaid together, with three or fower more (whose names I cannott now remember) with swords short pikes, and skeanes &c whoe I wished to make their stand till such tyme as I should know what theire bussinesse was there, to which they gaue me no answer but offered to come violently vpon me. Notwithstandinge with my sworde I resisted them till such tyme as they brought one or two More with long pikes and another with a fowlinge peece whoe forced me to leaue the place and flye back againe to the head of the staires whither they followed, tooke me prisoner, and gaue me seuerall wounds in my Armes, and head, ffrom thence a party of them brought me downe staires, but the rest of their Companie staid behind whoe broake my Chamber=doore, and tooke Nyneteene pounds Nyneteene Pounds fifteene shillinges or thereabouts out of my trunck At the staires foote I did imagin if I could haue rescued myselfe and gott from them into the Towne, I should ha haue taken the Money from them againe which they came for of purpose (as I thought) not dreameinge of any thinge else: for at that tyme there was very neare
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600 li. in the howse of my Lord of Essex money as I heard my Master say. soe makeinge a thrust from them at the foote of the staires I gott out of their hands, and tooke through the hall withall speed downe into the Court where at the gates two men stoode with either of them a fowlinge Peece with their cocks bended charged vpon me, whoe told me if I remoued from the place <A.> where I then was: they would forthwith shoote me, A litle while after one mr Patrick mc laghlin mc Mahoune, a Bayliffe of my Lords (now a Captaine among the Rebells) came in at the gate on horsse back with a cock t bended Pistoll in his hand. and after I had enquired of him what was the Cause of that great vproare, he forthwith made answer that they must take vs prisoners for the Kinge, and afterward ridd allong further into the Court, Not long after I had libertie to goe foorth at the Gate <b> of the Castle: and there I meetinge with mr Patrick ffitz Edmond mc Mahoune now their Marshall (as they saie themselues) I made further enquirie of him why they should take vs Prisoners to which he said made answer that the reason was a manie of Scots were come ouer into Ireland with Armes to ouerthrow the Irish Nation or to that purpose and that therefore all Ireland was vp at that instant and that the Castle of Dublin was taken: Monoghan: Castle Blayney: and seuerall other strengthes the Night before, Adding further that if they had not risen then in that hostile Manner they should haue suffered persecucion for their Religion as the Parliament in England had decreed and already [
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Blayney mr Edard Blayney my Lord Blayneyes eldest sonne, and some gentlwoemen in their Company whoe they had taken prisoners: All of which together with my Master mr Thomas Rossell his Wife, mr Williams with his whole ffamily my self, and some other of the towne were putt vp into the vpper roomes of the Castle where they sett a guard vpon vs that night. The next daie beinge sunday; they brought My Lady Blayney and her younger sonne: Mr Richard Cope, Mr Walter Cope, Mr Anthonie Cope Mr Nicholas Elcock Mris Anna Cope, Mris Clotworthie her daughter and some other whose name I cannott now remember and brought them vp to vs in the same roomes where wee were, setting a stronger guard vpon vs There wee Continued till the next daie at 11 a clock at which tyme the Lady Blayney and her two sonnes, Mr Richard Cope, Mr Richard Blayney, Mr Walter Cope, Mr Anthonie Cope, Mr Nicholas Elcock, Mris Anna Cope, Mris Clotworthy; her daughter and some other I cannott name were all sent to Monohan Castle vpon poore Garrons, where they Continued till of late they were lodged in seuerall parts of the Towne Except <1.> mr Richard Blayney whoe was hanged in the Garden at the back of the Castle by Art mc Brian Sannagh mc Mahonne and his Assotiates as I am credibly enformed, the rest with myselfe which were prisoners were remoued into seuerall parts of the towne, where wee remained and had some smale allowance of muttons weekely; About a fortnight after Coll mc Brian with his forces had besieged the towne of Tredagh: there came Peirce ô Brine and Hugh mc Eward with half a score in their Companie whoe layde Mr Williams and my self both in bolts together: where wee continued soe for two dayes and two nights, but at the instance of my Master wee were released of them afterward soe long as wee remained in that towne. Vpon the seccond day of January last being sunday: and in the
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afternoone of the sayd daie Mr Boyle minister of our towne mr Williams; Mr Gabriell Williams and my selfe were in the howse of Margrett Cesars conferring together at the fyre=syde about the then present troubles wee were in, Butt haueinge not beene there aboue half an howre, there came a great manie about [
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and then with a Corde tyed vs both together: ffrom that place they ledd vs out of the howse into a litle barne, where the vsed to threshe Corne, then they vnloosed the roape, and the Master Rebell Patrick mc Henry tooke it & putt it about mr Williams necke: hung his body ouer the insyde of the doore vntill he was dead: afterwards pulled him downe, & stript him naked vpon the floore, By that tyme the rest of the wicked crue without, brought his brother in law Mr Ishell Jones, and vsed him as the former; after him Mr Williams owne brother Mr Gabriell Williams. but before they had done Execucion vpon him I was sent for out at the instance of one Owen ô Murphy whoe Comaunded the Rebells in all that wicked and fearefull Act The said Owen brought me vp to the place where my Master was, and tooke one Readmond Burck bound for my true imprisonment at whose howse I remained still after dureinge my stay in <B> that place That day suffered besides the former two before mentioned Mr Gabriell Williams: Richard Hollis, Myles Powley Thomas Osburne, John Morrice, John Hughes, Richard Gates, Phillip ffarly, George Greene, Edward Crutchley, John Jackson, Richard Taylor, Thomas Aldersey, <C> Thomas Tranne, and one or two more whoe I cannot name, But what reason the Rebells had for puttinge them to death I know not beinge they were all men of good honest life, and Conuersation, It was reported <f> amongst themselues that one Euer mc Mahonne called by them the viccar=generall was the cheife Cause of all these menes deathes, and that he gaue the power to Owen ô Murphye whoe caused Execucion to be done vpon them with all violence as hangeing some but halfe stabbing them afterward, and stabbing others whoe they would not take paines to hang. After this I was mightily threatened by one Hugh mc Eward whoe swore if he had not beene at the
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the Camp when the said Execucion was done, I should haue suffered with the rest, notwithstandinge Owen ô Murphy <g> had gott well for it from a friend of myne whoe was then oweding e me money, About three weekes after that Patricke mc Laghlin before=mentioned challenged me for a debt of xx li. as he said due to him from one some two or three yeares agoe which I had many tyme. offered to ioyne with him in suite for to haue brought that the iustice s thereof to a tryall; and notwithstandinge I had not a penny left me, yet would he haue that or else (he said) he knew what to doe with me meaneinge to hang me, as those were by that heard him conceiued, and vpon this threateninge my said debter gaue him a furnace worth of 7 li. price and an Aquavitae pott cost 3 li. as they told me, and soe I escaped his hands. By this tyme Owen ô Murphy not beinge content with his former reckeninge sent vnto me one ffraunces Williams a dweller in the Towne, to tell me what fauours I had receiued & that he expected from me another reward for his kindnesse and if I would not doe it, he had a new warrant. to doe Execucion vpon me so that my friend was forced to giue him two young Cowes and my self a Cloake cost me 3 li. which I had kept in priuate And further saith That one Readmond roe mc Mahonn did threaten to come downe into ffarney from the Catholique Campe at old Bridge (as they termed it) to kill me, but god Almighty shortened his Journey in this wise, for beinge for by a smyth when he was dresseing a charged Carbine, or other gun which accidentally was dischardged the said Readmond roe mc Mahonne receiued a blow in his knee wherevpon he dyed within a daie after of this I am was informed by a gentlman of one mr Phillipp ô Calan sometyme of good
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reputacion in ffarney though now a Rebell, About the 18th: day of ffebruary Last, Coll mc <h> Brian mcMahonne sent his passe to my Master for the releaseinge of vs both and Consented that they should haue Readmond Burck and Richard ffahy to be our Conuoy (for our better safety) to anie Port in this Kingdome from whence wee might transport our selues for England But beinge vnfurnished of horsses then wee were forced to stay there vntill the 3d day of this instant March, at which tyme wee tooke our Journey for Newstowne where my Lady of slaine made my Master welcome to her howse, though he did not lodge there alnight but came to Dromconragh afterward and lye layd in the Inn. The next morninge wee came to Sydan where my lord of Slaine caused a kinsman of his Lordships to write to one of his seruants whoe was Comaunded as from his Lord to giue vs all Entertainment at Slaine howse for fower daies to which place wee went that night being fryday and there remained till sunday in the Morning next followinge At which tyme wee hyred 3: men there to add to our Conuoy whoe brought vs to Sir John Neateruiles howse at Dowth where wee wanted nothinge fitt for man or horsse and besides gaue vs harty welcome The next day after wee came thither wee remoued to Tredagh, and from thence by sea to this Citty of Dublin etc
The Losses I which he hath sustained by the Rebells (vizt)
Monies due to me vpon bonds bills, and other li. s. d.
reckeninge in all ------------------------------------------131:15-00
In horsses Mares Colts sheepe & other smale
thinges -----------------------------------------------------028-05 s.-0
In toto:160:00:-00
Anthonie Atkinson
Jurat: Apr: 5o 1642
Joh Watson:
Hen: Brereton
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fol. 150v
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41
Monaghan
Anthony Atkinson
Intw
Jur 5o Aprilis 1642
Hand w
Ex
Cert fact
3
Intw
40
Henry Brereton
John Watson